Still
in shock over the relatively high number of summer movies
that were truly enjoyable, I offer this snarky rundown without
an extended preamble.

The Prestige

The
Duchess

Keira
Knightley is the scandalous 18th-century Duchess of Devonshire
in this costume drama. With Ralph Fiennes and Charlotte Rampling.

Body
of Lies

Ridley
Scott directs Russell Crowe (yet again) and Leonardo DiCaprio
in this hunting-for-Al Qaeda drama, written by the guy who
adapted The Departed. Seriously, Ridley—Crowe again?
Didn’t you see Tropic Thunder?

Changeling

Almost
everything Clint Eastwood does has the golden Oscar touch,
and this 1920s drama about personal tragedy and endemic police
corruption is generating the same vibe. Starring Angelina
Jolie, John Malkovich (as a good guy, believe it or
not), Amy Ryan and Colm Feore.

The
Road

The
Proposition director John Hillcoat guides Viggo Mortensen
and Charlize Theron through Cormac McCarthy’s post-apocalyptic
America in this violent drama. Judging from the story, it
just may make No Country for Old Men seem lighthearted.
With Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall.

Sean
Penn is the assassinated title character Harvey Milk, San
Francisco’s first openly gay city supervisor, in Gus Van Sant’s
biopic. With John Brolin as the “Twinkie defense” killer,
and James Franco.

Frost/Nixon

Frank
Langella brings his acclaimed stage performance to the screen
in Ron Howard’s film about the 1977 TV interviews with Richard
Nixon by Brit producer-interviewer David Frost. Langella is
Nixon; Michael Sheen (Tony Blair in The Queen) is Frost;
and the excellent cast includes Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon.
This one looks like a winner.

This
Holocaust-resistance drama stars Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber.
The main concern here is director Edward Zwick (The Last
Samurai), who usually finds a way to sabotage his own
movies.

Doubt

Meryl
Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams star in author
John Patrick Shanley’s film of his own Broadway hit. The intense
drama is set in a Bronx Roman Catholic school, and involves
theological clashes and allegations of child abuse.

The
Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David
Fincher (Zodiac, Fight Club) directs Brad Pitt
in this F. Scott Fitzgerald story about a man who ages in
reverse—he starts out old, and ends as a baby. Curious, indeed.
With Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett.

Seven
Pounds

Will
Smith goes Oscar hunting again in this drama about a man with
a troubled past who decides to help seven strangers. With
Rosario Dawson and Woody Harrelson. Go get ’em, Will!

Irish
cops, family loyalties, soul-destroying corruption and vicious
revenge: Haven’t I seen this movie before? Anywho, this version
stars Edward Norton, Colin Farrell and Jon Voight.

Quantum
of Solace

Weird
title indeed, but the franchise- reviving Casino Royale
makes this Bond flick more than worth a look. With Daniel
Craig picking up exactly where he left off at the end of Royale.

The
Transporter 3

Jason
Statham just keeps on driving and kicking ass. Amen.

The
Spirit

Frank
Miller directs Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johansson in
this adaptation of his own comic. Violence can be safely anticipated.

We’ve Got Indie Cred, Really

Nick
and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Juno’s
Michael Cera is again a dorky musician who is, inexplicably,
catnip to smart girls in this romantic comedy costarring Kat
Dennings. Work that shtick while you can, kid—you’re not getting
any younger.

How
to Lose Friends & Alienate People

The
smartass bloggers at Gawker put the smackdown on Brit journalist
Toby Jones for his naval-gazing tome about his time at Vanity
Fair. Since the film version stars Simon Pegg, however,
one should keep an open mind.

Rachel
Getting Married

Recovering
addict Anne Hathaway returns home, bringing a golden ray of
sunshine to her sister’s wedding in this Jonathan Demme-directed
drama. Can you guess that things don’t go smoothly? With Debra
Winger.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Usually
gloomy Mike Leigh (Naked, Vera Drake) looks
on the bright side of life in this comedy about a maniacally
cheerful school teacher.

Synecdoche,
New York

No,
grandpa, I said “Synecdoche,” not “Schenectady.” Philip Seymour
Hoffman is a theater director who builds an entire city set
inside a warehouse. Written and directed (of course) by Charlie
Kaufman. With Catherine Keener.

Zack
and Miri Make a Porno

Kevin
Smith sold this movie to Harvey Weinstein based on the title
alone. Figures. Gee, I hope it’s as sophisticated as Chasing
Amy. (No, Smith is not forgiven for the donkey-fucking
scene in Clerks 2, either.)

Reel Life

Religulous

Have
you seen the any of the advance clips? This documentary is,
basically, atheist funnyman Bill Maher traveling the world
insulting men and women of God. C’mon, he’s not trying
to make friends.

Family Matters

Beverly
Hills Chihuahua

A
pampered SoCal pup (voiced by Drew Barrymore) gets lost in
Mexico, where a spirit guide (voiced by Salma Hayek) helps
her discover her “heritage.” OK. I’m not saying they’re literally
on crack at Disney, but Walt’s gonna be pissed when they thaw
out his head.

Bolt

A
pampered celebrity dog (voiced by John Travolta) gets lost
in the streets of New York City, where he must rely on his
not-often-tested wits to survive in this Disney comedy. Hey,
wait: Didn’t I just write this entry?

The
Secret Life of Bees

This
1960s drama about a young blonde girl who runs away from her
abusive home to the safety of African-American beekeepers
is set to tug the heartstrings. With Jennifer Hudson, Queen
Latifah and Dakota Fanning (as the little blonde girl).

Madagascar
2: Escape 2 Africa

Since
I have no idea what happened in Madagascar, I will
refrain from comment. I liked the “Madagascar penguins”
in the animated short Dreamworks subsequently released, however.

Bedtime
Stories

Adam
Sandler tells stories to children—that come true! yay!—in
this Christmas family cash-in from Walt Disney Pictures. At
least Sandler isn’t the voice of a pampered feline lost in
some metropolis who’s guided to his destiny by Garfield or
Sylvester. With Keri Russell.

Sing, Sing, Sing

High
School Musical 3: Senior Year

I’ve
never seen anything like this before. After two wildly successful
made-for-TV movies (and more live theatrical iterations than
I can count), the third coming of Disney’s High School
Musical juggernaut will be on the big screen. The Mouse
House may have had to bring in Pixar to save the empire’s
animation wing, but they’ve still got the tweeners by the
pocketbook. With Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron, blah blah blah.

Soul
Men

A
couple of still-angry-at-each-other singers (Samuel L. Jackson
and the late Bernie Mac) reunite one last time for a performance
at the Apollo. With Sharon Leal, Sean Hayes and the late Isaac
Hayes. Yeah, the circumstances around this one are a bummer.

Based on a (Mostly) True Story

The
Express

Clancy
Brown is New York state’s own football hero Ernie Davis, the
first African American Heisman Trophy winner, in this biopic
costarring Dennis Quaid.

W.

Oliver
Stone’s back and, oh, it’s on. Josh Brolin is our dearly
beloved, now-quacking president in this Oliver Stone film
about the life and times of George W. Bush. With Ioan Grufudd
as Tony Blair and Thandie Newton as Condoleezza Rice.

Based on a (Surprise) Video Game

Max
Payne

Mark
Wahlberg is the titular DEA agent out for revenge in this—admit
it— unfortunately named drama. I have to say, though, the
previews offer something to look at.

Yuk Yuk Yuk

An
American Carol

I
don’t want to you to think I’m biased against this “comedy”
because I’m an angry liberal, but judging from the trailer,
David Zucker’s right-wing spoof is a steaming pile of crap.
Starring Jon Voight, who provides yet another reason for his
daughter to avoid him.

Role
Models

David
Wain, director of the cult comedy The Ten (which was
actually about a “4” on the funny scale), helms this yukfest
about a couple of immature salesmen forced to become mentors
to troubled teens. With Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott.

Yes
Man

Remember
when Jim Carrey couldn’t tell a lie? Hoo-hoo, that was some
funny. Now he can’t say no to anything for a year.
It can’t be denied: Dude loves a gimmick. Directed by Peyton
Reed (Down With Love) and costarring Zooey Deschanel.

Don’t Be a Scaredy Cat

Blindness

Fernando
Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener)
directs Julianne Moore in this grim sci-fi drama about a world-wide
epidemic of blindness. With Mark Ruffalo and Sandra Oh.

Quarantine

The
trailer is simple: An apartment building is infested with
something and quarantined by the feds; when it’s all
over, there’s no one left to tell the story. Luckily, a reporter
left a video record. We can has Cloverfield?

Saw
V

The
torture-porn wave has crested, but the Saw series slices,
shocks, gouges and gnaws on.

Twilight

Director
Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) has either made a vampire
movie disguised as a teenage love story, or a teenage love
story disguised as a vampire movie.

The
Day the Earth Stood Still

I
want to keep an open mind about this remake of the 1951 classic
about an alien visiting earth, but the trailer is murky and
annoying. With Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates.

Xmas is Coming

Four
Christmases

Forgive
me, but I can’t bring myself to relate the execrable plot
of this holiday wankery starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince
Vaughn. You can use the Google, right?

Through
Sept. 29: Wonders of the Circus. Oct. 3-Dec. 31:
Once In a Blue Moon, oil paintings by Darlina Abrams-Jones.

Albany Institute of History & Art

125
Washington Ave., Albany, 463-4478.

Through
Jan. 4: Impressionist Giverny: American Painters in France,
1885-1915. Ongoing: The Landscape that Defined America:
Artists of the Hudson River School.

Albany International Airport

Colonie,
242-2241.

Ongoing:
Repetitive Nature in the Concourse A Gallery. Also,
Air Craft, photographs by Jeffrey Milstein in
the Concourse B Gallery.

Arkell Museum & Canajoharie Library

Canajoharie.
673-2314.

Though
Oct. 12: Winslow Homer Watercolors from the Permanent Collection.
Through Sept. 29: Works by regional artists Lutz Scherneck
and Ian Burcroff. Through Sept. 21: Wyeth Family
Paintings: From the Farnsworth Art Museum. Ongoing: Arkell’s
Inspiration: The Marketing of Beech-Nut and Art for the People.

Oct.
12-Jan.4: Drawn to Drama: Italian Works on Paper, 1500-1800.
Through Oct. 19: Like Breath on Glass: Whistler, Inness,
and the Art of Painting Softly. Through Oct. 26: Homer
and Sargent from the Clark. Through Nov. 16: Special
Installation: Visions of the Stage: Prints and Drawings, 1600-1800.

Cohoes Visitor’s Center

Music
Hall Building, 58 Remsen St., Cohoes, 273-5618.

Through
Nov. 30: Views of Cohoes Over Half a Century: Photographs
by Bernard T. Shaw.

Columbia County Historical Society and Museum

5
Albany Ave., Kinderhook. 758-9265.

Ongoing:
A Portrait of Columbia County.

Columbia Greene Community College

4400
Route 23, Hudson, 828-4181.

Through
Oct. 10: Fall Faculty Show.

Deborah Davis Fine Art

345
Warren St., Hudson, 822-1890.

Through
Oct. 6: Juxtaposition, mixed media by Patricia R.
Hogan.

Empire State Aerosciences Museum

250
Rudy Chase Drive, Glenville. 377-2191.

Ongoing:
Local and national aviation history; F-14 Tomcat and MiG-21
on display.

Through
October: “On Broadway” The Evolution of Dance on the Broadway
Stage. Ongoing: Choreo-Motion: A Children’s Journey
through Space, Time and Energy.

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

191
Union Ave., Saratoga Springs. 584-0400.

Through
Oct. 17: White House Horses.

New York Folklore Society Gallery of New York Traditions

133
Jay St., Schenectady. 346-7008.

Ongoing:
Folk art from around the state, including Amish-made items,
Iroquois crafts and much more.

New York State Museum

Empire
State Plaza, Albany. 474-5877.

Through
Oct. 13: Latin American and Caribbean Art: Selected Highlights
from the Collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Through
Oct. 12: Rockefeller at 100. Through Oct. 14: Sheridan
Hollow: A Very Working-Class Neighborhood. Oct. 3-May:
Breeding Bird Atlas: 20 Years of Changing Bird Distributions.
Nov. 22-May. 17: Rockwell Kent: This Is My Own. Through
March 2009: Invaders. Through Fall 2009: Art for
the People: Decorated Stoneware from the Weitsman Collection.
Ongoing: Beneath the City: An Archaeological Perspective
of Albany; Governor’s Collection of Contemporary Native
American Art; Rescue Recovery Response—Phase II;
and Windows on New York.

Oct.
16: The Gates. Documentary about Christo’s long-gestating
project for New York’s Central Park. Oct. 23: Goya’s
Ghosts. Milos Forman’s blend of fact and fiction inspired
by the works of the Spanish artist (Stella n Skarsgaard).
With Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman. Nov. 1: Porco Rosso.
Hayao Miyazaki takes on two of his favorite themes in this
anime feature, set in 1920s Italy: interspecies transformation
and the toxic effects of fascism. Nov. 6: Goya.
Rare screening of the 1971 Eastern-European biopic of the
artist. Nov. 8: Whisper of the Heart. A teenage
girl’s coming of age is dramatized in this Studio Ghibli anime.
Nov. 15: Grave of the Fireflies. Anime feature
about the effects of World War II on Japanese children. Nov.
20: Goya in Bordeaux. Director Carlos Saura’s
take on the last days of the artist’s life. Nov. 22: Tokyo
Godfathers. We wonder if John Ford, who directed silent
and sound versions of this story of outcasts caring for an
orphaned baby, would recognize the connection to this contemporary
anime version directed by Satoshi Kon? Nov. 29: Paprika.
Satoshi Kon blends sci-fi and psychoanalysis in this, the
last film of the Clark’s anime series.

Oct.
1: To Kill a Mockingbird. Beloved version of
the Harper Lee novel, with a memorable performance by Gregory
Peck. Oct. 2: Note by Note: The Making of a Steinway.
Documentary about, well, the building of a piano at Steinway’s
Queens factory. Oct. 23: The Shining. Stanley
Kubrick meets Stephen King. Kubrick wins. Oct. 28: Beetlejuice.
This raggedy-ass, life-after-death comedy remains one of Tim
Burton’s best. With Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis,
Winona Ryder and Sylvia Sidney. Nov. 11: Under the Tuscan
Sun. Diane Lane finds love in Italy. Nov. 25: Casablanca.
One of the most loved—and most quoted—of all Hollywood films.
Nov. 29 (2 PM): The Neverending Story. If you
grew up in the 1980s, you loved this fantasy. Now, take your
own kids. Nov. 29: Blazing Saddles. Arguably
Mel Brooks’ funniest film, this western satire is more lacerating
and transgressive than anything cranked out by today’s comic
geniuses. Yes, Judd Apatow, we’re talking to you.

Oct.
16: Breakfast With Scot, I’ve Loved You
So Long, Sunshine Cleaning, The
Secret Life of Bees. Oct. 17: Full Battle Rattle,
The Secret of the Grain, Crawford,
Waltz With Bashir, Hard Times at Douglass
High, Synecdoche New York, Sneak Preview.
Oct. 18: Sneak Preview, Animation for Grown-Ups, Happy-Go-Lucky,
Idiots and Angels, The Class,
The Understudy, Sneak Preview. Oct. 19: High
School Film Project, Continental, Under
Our Skin, A Christmas Tale, The
American Ruling Class, The Edge of Heaven,
Two Lovers.

GE Theatre at Proctors Emerging Pictures Series

432
State St., Schenectady, 346-6204. Call for showtimes.

Oct.
14: Encounters at the End of the World. Werner
Herzog’s visually arresting documentary about life at the
scientific station at the southern-most end of the Earth.
Oct. 20: Let’s Get Lost. Alternately wistful
and mordant documentary about the life and death of jazz trumpeter
Chet Baker. Oct. 21: The Last Mistress. You’ll
either love or hate Asia Argento’s ravenous performance in
this sexed-up 19th-century costume drama. Oct. 27: A
Girl Cut in Two. Claude Chabrol based this wicked
contemporary thriller on the notorious turn-of-the-last-century
Stanford White murder case. Oct. 29: Tell No One.
Acclaimed French thriller about a husband under suspicion
of murdering his wife; he finds she may not be dead after
all. Oct. 30: Monsieur Verdoux. Charlie Chaplin
is not the “little tramp” in this shocking 1947 black
comedy about a marry-’em-and-murder-’em serial killer. With
Martha Raye, hilarious as the woman who unknowingly evades
his murderous schemes.

Oct.
18: Phoebe in Wonderland. A girl starring in
a school production of Alice in Wonderland goes down
the rabbit hole herself. With Patricia Clarkson, Bill Pullman
and Campbell Scott. Oct. 24: Gotta Dance. Documentary
about the New Jersey Nets’ senior citizen hip-hop dance team.
Really.

Oct.
3: Night and the City. Richard Widmark is brilliant
as a not-so-cunning con man in Jules Dassin’s atmospheric
noir set in post-war London. Restored print. Oct. 17: Last
Year at Marienbad. Follow a man and woman at a posh
European spa through the looking glass in Alain Resnais’ avant-garde
classic. New print. Oct. 24: A Day in the Country.
Jean Renoir’s engrossing almost-feature-length film, featuring
a post-screening discussion with scholars David Thomson and
Steven Bach. Oct. 31: M. Fritz Lang’s groundbreaking
serial-killer thriller, starring Peter Lorre. Nov. 7: Kwaidan.
A rare opportunity to see a film by Japanese master Masaki
Kobayashi. Nov. 14: Frozen River. The acclaimed
indie drama about immigrants smuggling in the North Country,
with Melissa Leo. Filmmaker Courtney Hunt will speak after
the screening. Nov. 21: My Man Godfrey. Directed
by Gregory LaCava, this is one of the screwiest screwball
comedies. Essential performances by Carole Lombard, William
Powell, Eugene Pallette, Mischa Auer, Jean Dixon and Alice
Brady.

Oct.
6: Lost Horizon. Frank Capra’s vision of a Himalayan
“shangri-la” still packs a punch. Starring the great Ronald
Colman. Oct. 20: The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
The original, ultimate sing-along movie. Plus, you get Meat
Loaf and cross- dressing. Nov. 3: Citizen Kane.
Orson Welles’ entertaining American classic about the intersection
of public greatness and personal failure. Nov. 17: From
Here to Eternity. This gritty military melodrama set
in Honolulu just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Frank Sinatra won an Oscar, but Montgomery Clift steals the
picture. Dec. 8: Three Stooges Film Festival. It’s
back, because you knuckleheads love those eye-poking, gut-
punching, face-slapping antics. Dec. 19: It’s a Wonderful
Life. Almost everyone’s favorite film to watch during
the holidays. Dec. 22: Scrooged! It’s too big
and too loud, but who cares? Bill Murray plus A Christmas
Carol (and a terrific supporting cast) equals a modern
holiday classic.

Oct.
16: A Jihad for Love. Documentary about the
complexities of being gay and Muslim. Filmmaker Parvez Sharma
will lead a post-screening discussion. Oct. 24: A Summer
in the Cage. Ben Selkow will show and discuss his
documentary about living with manic depression. Nov. 14: The
Phantom of the Opera. Lon Chaney is unforgettable
as Erik, the physically and psychologically deformed title
character in this atmospheric version of Victor Hugo’s gothic
melodrama. The real news? Live music will be provided by the
incomparable Alloy Orchestra. Dec. 6: I Need That Record.
Documentary about the death of the independent record store.
Discussion with filmmaker Brendan Toller.

Time & Space Limited

434
Columbia St., Hudson, 822-8448. Call for showtimes.

Regular
screenings of independent cinema and simulcasts of performances
from the Metropolitan Opera. See Web site for details.

The Linda: WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio

339
Central Ave., Albany, 465-5233 ext. 4. Call for showtimes.

Oct.
31: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Turn off
your brain and do the time warp—again.

Williamstown Film Festival

Various
locations in and around Williamstown, Mass., (413) 458-9700,
www.williamstownfilmfest.com

Oct.
17-26: Schedule to be announced soon. See Web site for details.

Woodstock Film Festival

Various
locations in and around Woodstock, Rhinebeck and Rosendale.
WFF box office is at 13 Rock City Road, Woodstock, (845) 810-0131,
www.woodstockfilmfestival.com. Check Web site for schedule,
venue information and show times.

Oct.
2-5: Pride and Glory, Happy-Go-Lucky,
Flash of Genius, Sunshine Superman: The
Journey of Donovan, Wendy and Lucy,
The Secret of the Grain, Zack and Miri
Make a Porno, The Great Buck Howard,
All Together Now, Julia, Religulous,
Tokyo!, Throw Down Your Heart,
Predisposed, 32, Eden,
Explicit Ills, Happy Birthday Harris Malden,
Let the Right One In, Medicine for Melancholy,
Blind Spot, Captured, Milton
Glaser: To Inform and Delight, Thing With No
Name, The Betrayal, many more.